By admin 
After 11 years at Segra Park, the Columbia Fireflies are asking the city to support roughly $6 million in upgrades to the ballpark that team owner Jason Freier says are needed to keep the ballpark modern and competitive. The upgrades would include a new club at center field, bar upgrades, and more shaded areas, among other additions.
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Under the proposal, Freir said he would need roughly $6 million in bonds funded by hospitality-tax revenue to pay for the upgrades. He estimated that the annual cost to pay down that debt would be up to $650,000 per year. With the proposed upgrades, he said the team would be able to cover about $250,000 of that annual debt.
“We really are at a point where, for the ballpark to continue to serve its purpose and not to begin to age and fall behind, we need to look at some significant improvements,” Freier said Tuesday.
He added that the plan is still in the early stages and the final cost is still being determined. The city committee did not take any action on the plan during its Tuesday meeting, and Freier said he would return with more detailed financial information.
Segra Park is owned by the City of Columbia and leased to the Fireflies.
Upgrades and new stuff
The centerpiece of the proposed upgrades would be a two-level “Batter’s Eye Club” in center field, replacing the chain-link fence and windscreen currently used as the batter’s backdrop, which Freier said is normally “the least appealing part of any ballpark,” because it blocks the view of the field.
The area is necessary because batters need a dark backdrop against which to hit, Freier explained. Creating a two-story club there maintains the practical need for the dark backdrop while also giving spectators a better experience, Freier said.
The club was included in the original design for Segra Park, but was removed during the project’s budget-cutting process, Freier also said. The lower level would be a conditioned indoor space, while the upper level would be a shaded rooftop with a “unique view of the field.” It could also provide another private event space for the park to rent out.
Other upgrades in Freier’s proposal include adding more shade structures to the picnic areas and building cabanas for small groups to gather more comfortably during games. Bar upgrades are also part of the plans.
The State has contacted Hardball Capital for more information about the proposed upgrades.
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Baseball and beyond
Segra Park is preparing to welcome its 3 millionth visitor by the end of 2026, a milestone Freier pointed to as evidence of the venue’s success as both a ballpark and an event space that hosts non-sports events like the annual Holiday Lights show.
“The venue itself, you know, while designed for baseball as its primary tenant, really was always meant to be something that would host all sorts of things,” Freier said.
The proposed $6 million in upgrades would help the ballpark attract even more patrons while also boosting foot traffic for other businesses in the BullStreet District, he added.
The upgrades would come more than a decade after the contentious deal to build Segra Park, which was approved by City Council in a tight 4-3 vote in 2014. At the time, officials and the public were split on whether public dollars should help pay for the project.
Ultimately, the $37 million stadium was funded with $29 million in city bonds backed by hospitality-tax revenue, $7 million from Fireflies owner Hardball Capital and $1 million from local builder Hughes Development.
If the proposal moves forward, construction on the upgrades could begin as soon as the next offseason, Freier said.
“The goals of the investment that we’re looking at would be to keep the ballpark fresh, to improve the fan experience and increase game attendance, [and] also to continue to be able to host more non-game events there,” Freier said.
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